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It’s been awhile since I posted a beer review. I don’t know what happened to the Vendome Beer Panel – they stopped doing them (or they stopped inviting me to participate). I guess that horrible task of sampling free beer is over.

Black Butte XXIX pours black with a ¼” light tan head that fades rapidly to a thick ring. The first whiff is spiced rum, then spiced rum, followed by more spiced rum with sweet chocolate, vanilla, bourbon and cherry.

The flavor is sweet rum, chocolate, coconut, vanilla, dark fruit, and cinnamon with cherry at the end. The cayenne is slightly noticeable in the aftertaste, giving just a bit of heat in the throat. The bourbon is very subdued, almost non-existent, but the rum is right in your face, along with strong notes of dark chocolate.

The mouth feel is thick and silky smooth with medium to low carbonation. The high alcohol content is completely absent in the flavor (too bad), but very noticeable in its effect. As it warms there is even more aroma of rum. The flavor is a bit sweeter with rum notes even more prevelant. The cinnamon is subtle, but makes an appearance (not so much when cold). The dark fruit (raisin, plum) fades a bit, and a little coffee emerges. The alcohol is still not apparent.

Black Butte XXIX is excellent! It is complex and very enjoyable. This is an impressive beer; good job, Deschutes!

I sampled XXIX on August 20, 2017 from a 22 oz. bomber that was bottled on June 12, 2017. The bottle cost $16.49 at Total Wine.

Double Bastard – Bigger, Longer, Uncut: Arrogant Brewing, Escondido, CA. 13% ABV.
First a very short history lesson – Arrogant Brewing split off from Stone Brewing in 2015. I believe Arrogant Brewing pushes the boundaries and makes the more “over the top” ales, including Double Bastard (an excellent Strong Ale). Today’s beer is Double Bastard Ale aged in Islay Scotch Whisky barrels. I will refer to it as “BLU” (Bigger, Longer, Uncut).

BLU looks like regular Double Bastard, but that’s where the similarity ends. It pours a deep amber color with a ½” beige head that fades after about a minute to a substantial ring. The aroma is smoky Scotch, sweet, tobacco – it smells like you’re walking into a tobacco shop.

It tastes sweet with notes of chocolate, vanilla, brown sugar and tobacco, followed by smoke/peat, Scotch Whisky, and smoky chocolate, with a lingering smoky/peaty essence in the aftertaste. As this beer warms, the aroma intensifies – close your eyes and you would think you’re sniffing a shot of Scotch. In the flavor, however, the smoke seems to fade, or is overtaken by sweetness, to wit, vanilla and chocolate (especially dark chocolate). The peat subsides and the sweet notes of chocolate and toffee take over. This seems counter-intuitive to me – I would think the peat/smoke would become more pronounced as the beer warms, but it’s just the opposite as the complexity of the underlying beer shines forth.

The body and mouth feel is thick and smooth. Carbonation is on the low side. As the beer warms (60°+), alcohol becomes noticeable late on the palate, but is not hot or unpleasant. In fact, I would opine that the alcohol is well hidden in the flavor (but not in it’s effect!).

Double Bastard – Bigger, Longer, Uncut is all about the Scotch. At first I was a little put off by it (the Scotch), but the more I drank it, the more I liked it. In my opinion, this is a beer that should not be consumed ice cold. Let this one warm up to cellar temperatures (55° – 60° F) to really appreciate the nuances and complexities. Double Bastard is a huge beer with huge flavor, and is able to stand up to the intensity of the Islay Scotch barrels.

I sampled BLU on August 27, 2017, from a 22 oz. bomber, given to me by my neighbor and good friend, Rob Lansley. It was bottled on October 14, 2016, so it had been aging for almost a year. I’m a little surprised that the Scotch flavor is still so pronounced after nearly a year in the bottle.

So there you have it. I highly recommend Black Butte XXIX. Anyone who appreciates a good imperial stout would enjoy this beer. I don’t drink much rum, but it really adds additional character and depth to this beer. I can also recommend Double Bastard – Bigger, Longer, Uncut, but with one admonition – you may not like it if you don’t like Scotch Whisky. As I stated, I don’t care much for Scotch, but after my initial disdain, I really enjoyed this big beer (thank you, Rob!). In fact, I got another bomber ($11.99) to share with . . . anyone interested? This is a great candidate for aging – maybe I’ll get one more bottle to age for a few years in my cellar.

Well, what are you waiting for? Get off your couch and go buy some good beer. Both are available at Total Wine right now, but are limited release and will be gone soon. Don’t miss out. (Caveat: fizzy yellow beer drinkers, don’t bother.)

The latest Vendome Beer Panel was a little different. Each member of the panel chose a beer for tasting. Here are reviews of six beers from five different breweries. All of them are good, but none earned a top score of “5” on my scorecard.

If these reviews intrigue you or pique your interest, take a trip to Vendome Wine and Spirits in Fullerton and use my code, “VEN10C” or mention my name “CARL” to get a 10% discount off the price. Enough of the fine print though, here’s what you want to know.

The Vendome rating system:0 – I wouldn’t offer this beer to my worst enemy.1 – I wouldn’t pay for this beer, but it’s alright.2 – Tasty, but easily forgettable.3 – I’ve had better, I’ve had worse.4 – I can see myself buying this beer and ordering seconds.5 – Just hook up the beer straight to my veins.

Propeller-Head: Unsung Brewing, Anaheim, CA. 6.0% ABV. Rating – 4
This is a coffee infused amber ale. It pours a medium amber color with a light beige head. The aroma is sweet coffee. Propeller-Head has a light coffee flavor, slightly sweet and caramel, with no bitterness noted. There is a well balanced sweet but hoppy aftertaste. Ultimately this is all about the coffee: it predominates the aroma and flavor, and lingers in the aftertaste, but it’s not too strong.

Coffee beers are very popular right now and it seems that every brewery is making them. Some are good, but some aren’t to my liking. I think coffee works well in the darker beers, but not so well in the lighter colored beers (especially IPAs). Propeller-Head is very good. The caramel flavors in this amber ale stand up well to the coffee, and make for a very pleasant beer.

Bursted Cascade: El Segundo Brewing, El Segundo, CA. 6.0% ABV. Rating – 3
Bursted Cascade is a single hop IPA. It pours a golden, slight orange color, with a white foamy head that rapidly fades to a 1/8” ring around the perimeter. The aroma is citrus (as expected from Cascade), but not real strong. The flavor is grapefruit, but again, not too strong. The body is fairly light, with medium carbonation.

Bursted Cascade is a very drinkable, refreshing, thirst quenching beer. I would describe it as on the light side as far as hoppiness for an IPA. The alcohol content is fairly low at 6%, so it’s easy drinking. Overall, it’s a nice beer, but I think it could use some additional bitterness and hoppiness.

Knuckle Sandwich: Bootleggers Brewing, Fullerton, CA. 10% ABV. Rating – 4
This is the beer I chose for the Panel. Knuckle Sandwich is a Double IPA with a very high alcohol content. It pours a deep amber color with a thick beige colored head. The aroma is bittersweet – caramel malt with citrus notes. The flavor is citrus and pine, followed by malty sweet caramel. The malty sweetness lingers in the aftertaste, but is balanced by the bitterness.

Knuckle Sandwich is a typical DIPA, in that it can accurately be described as bittersweet. The malty/caramel sweetness stands out, but it’s not cloying or overly sweet. The body is full to heavy, and the carbonation level is medium. The alcohol level is high, but not noticeable in the flavor. Be careful, because a 22 oz. bomber can do some substantial damage. Overall, this is an excellent beer.

Hop Juice: Left Coast Brewing, San Clemente, CA. 10% ABV. Rating – 4
This is a triple IPA. Hop Juice pours light orange with a white head that persists for about a minute before fading to a substantial ring. The aroma is slightly bitter, but not overpowering. The flavor starts malty sweet, followed by a very nice grapefruit that fades to a clean citrus bitterness. The body and carbonation level are medium.

Hop Juice is 10% ABV, but that high alcohol content is even more well hidden than Knuckle Sandwich. This is quite easy to drink and overall, is a very good beer.

Asylum: Left Coast Brewing, San Clemente, CA. 11.8% ABV. Rating – 4
I think Left Coast Brewing likes to make big beers. Asylum is a Belgian style Tripel. I don’t typically drink Belgian style ales, but tend to tolerate, or even like, dubbels and tripels. This one is no exception, and I found that I really liked Asylum.

Asylum pours light orange with a white head. The aroma has the typical Belgian spicy sweet notes. The flavor is very sweet and fruity, with the Belgian yeast spiciness very subdued, and only in the aftertaste. The body is heavy with a thick mouth feel, but is mitigated by the high carbonation level. I found this fruity Belgian style ale very pleasant to drink.

Imperial Russian Stout: Stone Brewing, Escondido, CA. 10.6% ABV. Rating – 4
Oh how I love dark beers, and just about anything from Stone Brewing. Imperial Russian Stout pours black as midnight with a cocoa colored head that fades to a 1/8” ring around the perimeter. The aroma is sweet, chocolate and brown sugar. The flavor is sweet as well – chocolate, dark fruit and raisin – but also brings some bitter, roasty coffee. The aftertaste is chocolate, vanilla and sweet, but with some balancing bitterness and lingering coffee roastiness.

The body is heavy and the mouth feel is smooth, thick and viscous. Alcohol content is high, but is only slightly noticeable on the palate. This is one of the great non-barrel aged stouts available. I love Stone IRS and highly recommend it.

Well, that’s it for now, beer lovers. I can recommend all six of these beers (caveat: Bursted Cascade is nice, but doesn’t stand out from the hundreds of other IPAs on the market). I would say my favorite of the bunch is the Stone IRS. If you have an interest in drinking any of these, they are available for purchase at Vendome Wine and Spirits in Fullerton. Be sure to mention my discount code, “VEN10C” or my name, “CARL” to get a 10% discount off the purchase price.

Good craft beer is widely available these days. In the last few months I have sampled many different beers with the intention of posting reviews. Unfortunately for you, my writing has not kept up with my beer consumption. Here are a couple more reviews of some good beer, both brewed by Stone. Please read responsibly.

This beer pours a murky reddish-brown with a 1/4″ cream colored head that fades fairly quickly. The aroma is sweet: toffee, chocolate and maple. The flavor is . . . WOW!. It’s slightly sweet, with dark fruit, raisins, coffee (very slight), and tobacco. These flavors fade to a slight bitter chocolate in the aftertaste. After some time, the vanilla and coconut notes from the bourbon barrel step forward and linger for awhile. This too fades, to a hop bitterness. At the end of it all, the bitterness lingers. As it warms, the Double Bastard roots become more obvious, and a nuttiness comes through. What great flavor progression!

This beer is full bodied, quite thick and smooth. The carbonation level is low to medium. A 1/8″ ring of foam persisted throughout the session, but left no lacing in my tulip glass.

Sweet is the overall impression, but not so much that one feels the need for insulin. It is very malty like Double Bastard, but is much more complex. The coffee flavor from the Depth Charged is quite subdued, and the alcohol, although high, is only slightly evident to the palate (but will definitely do some damage). This is an interesting beer – very good. I prefer the regular Depth Charged, but it’s more to my liking than regular Double Bastard Ale. Sorry I can’t give you pricing information – this beer was a gift to me from Sheila (now, is that a thoughtful gift, or what?). I would guess about $18 – $20 for a 500 ml bottle.

Bitter Chocolate Oatmeal Stout: Stone Brewing; 9.2% ABV (2008 & 2016 releases).
In 2008, Stone Brewing released Bitter Chocolate Oatmeal Stout as their 12th anniversary ale. This beer was an instant success, but since it was their anniversary brew, it was not repeated, nor was it added to their stable of regular offerings. During 2016, in honor of their 20th anniversary celebration, Stone re-released several of their special and/or anniversary ales. Lucky for me (and all of you), Bitter Chocolate Oatmeal Stout was one of those that Stone released again.

Beers like this are widely available today, but in 2008, they were relatively rare. When I first tasted BCOS (in 2008) I fell in love with it, and purchased numerous bottles to enjoy over time. Imagine my shock when I saw a shelf full of this wonderful beer at Costco a few months ago. Did I buy some? Oh yeah, numerous bottles. I’ve consumed a few of them already, and have several of them cellering now for future enjoyment.

Since I still had a couple of bottles of the 2008 release, I sampled a 2008 bottle and a 2016 bottle in a side-by-side comparison for this review. Imagine my pleasure as I consumed two different vintages of this treat at the same sitting (that’s two 22 oz. bombers of high alcohol imperial stout). DO NOT try this at home, folks – I am a professional, capable of such exploits. Well, enough background; you all paid full admission, so here is the review of the two vintages of this monster . . .

Appearance
2008 – Pours black with a thin, medium cocoa-colored head that fades immediately, leaving a micro-thin ring around the perimeter of the glass.
2016 – Pours black with a 1/2″ medium cocoa colored head, which also rapidly fades, but leaves a 1/8″ foam ring that persists.

Aroma
2008 – Sweet, nutty, vanilla (no coffee; much sweeter and nuttier than 2016).
2016 – Sweet, coffee, nutty (the coffee is very noticeable, as is expected with a stout).

Flavor
2008 – Semi-sweet chocolate, dark fruit, cherries, vanilla, nutty. This vintage is very mellow, easy to drink, thick, and velvety smooth. There is no bitter chocolate in the aftertaste, just a lingering semi-sweet chocolate. No alcohol is noted in the flavor at any time (from cold to room temperature).
2016 – Coffee, semi-sweet chocolate, a little raisin, somewhat sweet, but balanced. There is a lingering bitter chocolate in the aftertaste, along with a hint of nuttiness. As this vintage warms, the coffee subsides from the flavor and the chocolate dominates. The alcohol is definitely noticeable in the flavor when compared to the 2008 version, although it is not hot or unpleasant in any way.

Overall Impression
There is a huge difference between these versions. There is no coffee aroma or flavor in the 2008 release. The mouthfeel and viscosity of the two is the same, and the alcohol is noticeable in the non-aged version (that’s to be expected). It is really amazing to drink these two identical beers and taste the huge difference due to aging.

I purchased the 2016 release at Costco – $6.39 for a 22 oz. bomber. I purchased some more at Total Wine – $7.99 per bomber. Costco has been out of stock for a long time, but it is still available at Total Wine.

I recommend both of these Stone beers. The Bastard’s Midnight Brunch is very good, but is undoubtedly more expensive than Depth Charged Bastard. For that reason, I recommend Depth Charged over Midnight Brunch; I also preferred the deeper coffee notes in Depth Charged (that’s saying something, considering I don’t even drink coffee). I highly recommend Bitter Chocolate Oatmeal Stout, and in fact I currently have a number of bottles aging at Mac’s (including one remaining bottle of the original 2008 release). This is a complex stout and is the brew that started me drinking “big” beers, especially imperial stouts. Now, go buy some (caveat: fizzy yellow beer drinkers, don’t bother; you will hate it).

It’s that time of the year when dark beers are plentiful and satisfying. Here are reviews of two more dark beauties, both loaded with flavor and character. Please read responsibly.

Monsters’ Park: Modern Times Beer, San Diego, CA. 12% ABV.
Modern Times Beer in San Diego makes one of my favorite coffee stouts, Black House. Monsters’ Park is their Imperial Stout, and it is definitely a monster compared to Black House. The description on the label states, “Monsters’ Park is a hulking, cantankerous imperial stout sporting a brawny malt bill and a dry, lingering finish.”

Monsters’ Park pours black with a 3/4″ cocoa colored head that faded rapidly but left a nice ring around the top edge that remained throughout the entire session. The aroma is semi-sweet dark chocolate. The flavor is sweet coffee with a little chocolate. The chocolate lingers on the tongue, then fades to a slight sweetness, typical of imperial stouts. This sweetness, however, is well balanced with hops.

The body and mouthfeel is thick, but the CO2 peel helps to mitigate the thickness just a bit. There is a nice lingering semi-sweet chocolate note in the aftertaste. Although it’s 12% ABV, it is not the least bit boozy or hot. In fact, it is a deceptively smooth, easy drinking stout; but watch out, it will kick your butt! As it warms, the alcohol aroma appears, but it’s not overwhelming. At 60° F or above, there is more coffee, more chocolate, and more booze – in other words, more flavor and aroma. I recommend you let this one warm up to 55° – 60° before drinking; it’s well worth it!

I sampled Monsters’ Park from a 22 oz. bomber I purchased at Total Wine for $12.99. It’s worth the price, but I’m not sure it’s still available (I sampled it in November – sorry for the delay in posting the review).

Xocoveza Charred (2015 Series): Stone Brewing, Escondido, CA. 10% ABV.
Have I ever mentioned I like Stone beers? This is another good one. Xocoveza Mocha Stout is a Christmas Season beer that Stone releases each year. It’s a stout described (by Stone) as, “an insanely delicious take on Mexican hot chocolate brewed with cocoa, coffee, chile peppers, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg.” Xocoveza Charred is the same beer aged for 3 months in bourbon barrels.

Xocoveza Charred is pitch black with a 1/4″ light cocoa colored head that faded very rapidly to a ring around the edge. The aroma is sweet, vanilla and oak. The flavor is a little bit of chocolate, and a little coffee. Vanilla is evident mid palate, but fades to a sweet chocolate, with vanilla notes lingering. The oak/vanilla notes are very subdued and could stand some extra emphasis. This beer features a medium body, but would benefit from additional mouth feel.

Although this is a bourbon barrel aged beer, the vanilla and oak flavors are not pronounced enough. However, those flavors overwhelm the spiciness of the original Xocoveza Mocha Stout, which is a little disappointing. This iteration looses the cinnamon/nutmeg and pepper notes that are so evident in the original version, which is too bad. Since the barrel aging cut down on the spiciness of the original, the vanilla/coconut flavors derived from the bourbon barrel need to be more pronounced to compensate for the loss.

Xocoveza Charred is a very good beer, but does not have the flavor intensity of the original Xocoveza Mocha Stout. Knowing what the original tastes like, I was a little disappointed because the spices are lost to the barrel. The original is an excellent beer; barrel aging should improve/intensify the flavor and complexity, but in this case it actually detracts. Too bad; maybe it should be aged in the barrel for a longer period of time.

I sampled this beer from a 500 ML corked bottle, which I received as a gift from my father for Christmas. Thanks, Dad!

So what about these two beers? I can recommend both, as they are high quality, flavorful examples. Monsters’ Park is an excellent Imperial Stout and worth the cost, if it’s still available (I haven’t seen it around lately). Xocoveza Charred is very good, but not as good as the original underlying base beer, Xocoveza Mocha Stout. Charred sells for $18.99 for a 500 ML bottle at Total Wine; the original Xocoveza Mocha Stout is $15.99 for a six pack (12 oz. bottles). Like I said, Xocoveza Charred is very good, but for the money I recommend the original Xocoveza – you won’t be disappointed (unless you like only fizzy yellow beer).

Happy New Year to one and all from Mac’s Brew Pub. I’m looking forward to a 2016 filled with good beer and brewing. I’ve been drinking a lot of big dark beers for the last couple of months. Here are my thoughts on a couple of Imperial Stouts I recently tasted. Please read responsibly.

Tart Cherry Stout (Smokestack Series): Boulevard Brewing Co., Kansas City, MO. 11% ABV.
Tart Cherry Stout is a Special Release Ale in the Smokestack Series of beers from Boulevard Brewing. Their Smokestack series is a, “. . . special collection of bigger, bolder, more complex brews,” typically with a higher alcohol content than Boulevard’s core brands. Tart Cherry Stout is an Imperial Stout fermented with tart cherries, and bottle conditioned.

They beer pours black as midnight with a huge dark tan head. It is well carbonated (due to the bottle conditioning) and though the head subsided, it remained throughout the session, as did the effervescence. It has much more carbonation than a typical Imperial Stout.

The aroma has a slight note of cherry, but it’s not tart. The flavor features cherry and tartness along with chocolate notes. The high carbonation thins out the texture/mouth feel. Tartness lingers on the tongue, but it’s not overwhelming. The aftertaste is also cherry, which rapidly fades to a tart and bitter sensation before the cherry returns and lingers.

Tart Cherry Stout is a nice cherry chocolate stout. It’s 11% ABV, but there is absolutely no booziness. However, the high carbonation level detracts from the Imperial Stout experience. With a beer this big, I expect something thick and chewy with a little bit of alcohol bite. The high carbonation thins out the body and cuts down on the residual sweetness expected from a big Imperial Stout. You definitely need to let this one warm up to 60° F for drinking – it will cut down the carbonation and increase the body. It also increases the cherry flavor, which is not necessary.

I purchased this beer at Costco for $10.99. It comes in a corked 750 ML bottle that popped like a bottle of champagne when opened.

Fyodor’s Classic (2015 Series): Stone Brewing Co., Escondido, CA. 13% ABV.
This is another bourbon barrel aged offering from Stone Brewing in San Diego, but it’s not just another Stone beer. It is the 2014 version of Stone’s Imperial Russian Stout aged for seven months in Kentucky Bourbon barrels. I love Stone’s IRS, but this beer towers over the non-aged version.

Fyodor’s Classic is pitch black and creates a 1/2″ cocoa colored head when poured into a tulip glass. The head fades rapidly to a thin ring along the perimeter, which left no lacing during the session.

The aroma is sweet vanilla, coconut, bourbon, chocolate and raisin. the initial flavor sensation is sweet, with a CO2 bite on the tongue. This swiftly transitions to a slightly sweet cocoa, then to coconut/vanilla (from the bourbon barrel), and finally to a very pleasant semi-sweet dark chocolate and coffee that lingers for quite awhile.

Fyodor’s Classic is well carbonated, but retains a thick, chewy mouthfeel and body, yet it’s not too sweet. In spite of the high alcohol content (13%), there is no booziness noted, even as it warms. However, the alcohol immediately starts warming the throat and belly, with warming to the rest of the body right behind..

Fyodor’s Classic is a world class beer. The aftertaste is where this one really excels. The taste magically transitions from one flavor to the next, but that transition is so slow and seamless there is no definitive point where one can say, “that’s exactly where it changed.” This beer is unbelievably complex and wonderful.

I purchased this 500 ML corked bottle of Fyodor’s Classic several months ago at Total Wine for $18.99. It is a limited edition, but because it’s expensive, it is still available.

I can recommend both of these beers. Although Tart Cherry Stout is very good, I will not purchase another bottle. It is definitely worth the price ($10.99 if you can still get it at Costco), but I prefer Imperial Stouts with a little more sweetness, viscosity and body. Fyodor’s Classic, as previously mentioned, is a top notch beer. It is worth the hefty price tag ($18.99 per bottle at Total Wine) and is sure to be a treat to any Imperial Stout connoisseur. The usual caveat applies to both of these beers: fizzy yellow beer drinkers – don’t bother.

I trust that all of you had a merry Christmas and are all set for a happy and prosperous new year. Christmas at Mac’s Brew Pub was truly a joy this year, and we are grateful for so much. I received these two beers for Christmas from my daughters. Both are special release beers so I thought I should post these reviews right away while they are still available in stores. Please read responsibly.

Gift of the Magi: The Lost Abbey, San Marcos, CA. 12% ABV.
The Lost Abbey is the Belgian brewing arm of Port Brewing in San Marcos (San Diego). Although Belgian style beers are not my favorite, I do enjoy some Belgian styles. Gift of the Magi is a “Biere de Garde” (“beer for keeping” = extended conditioning/aging) – a strong, farmhouse style pale ale. This beer is only available around Christmas time.

Gift of the Magi pours a hazy copper/amber color with 1″ thick creamy off white head. The head persists for several minutes before it fades to a substantial ring around the perimeter. The aroma is sweet with hints of toffee and raisin. The flavor follows suit – sweet, dark fruit, raisin, and toffee. It transitions to a bitterness with some caramel, followed by a bitter hoppy finish and finally fades to a slight bitter coffee aftertaste.

This is bottle conditioned with Brettanomyces, which gives it those barnyard notes typical of a farmhouse style ale. The body is medium, leaning toward heavy, but the carbonation is high, which keeps this beer from being too syrupy. The alcohol content, at 12%, is high, but is not at all noticeable in the flavor. Although not evident on the palate, the alcohol packs a wallop – it hit me before I was through my first pint.

Gift of the Magi is very drinkable, in spite of the high alcohol content. Be careful, however, it gets you there quickly. This beer is currently available and I highly recommend it. Don’t wait too long, however, supplies are limited and it won’t be available again until late next year. I sampled from a 750 ml corked bottle that I received for Christmas from Kristen and David. Gift of the Magi is a wise choice, and fit for a King, I must say!

Double Bastard in the Rye (2015): Stone Brewing, Escondido, CA. 12.7% ABV.
According to the bottle, Double Bastard in the Rye is a, “close relative” of Stone’s Southern Charred (see my review posted September 28, 2014), which is Double Bastard Ale aged in bourbon barrels. I would have to agree there is a lot of similarity between the two, but Double Bastard in the Rye is aged in Templeton Rye Whiskey barrels as opposed to bourbon barrels.

Double Bastard in the Rye pours an opaque dark amber with very little head. The little bit of foam present fades rapidly to a very thin ring at the edge, which leaves no lacing. The aroma is Double Bastard Ale – malty, sweet, toffee – with some vanilla.

The initial flavor sensation is bitter, but then vanilla from the rye whiskey barrel immediately kicks in. It’s sweet and thick, then fades to a bittersweet caramel/toffee flavor that is all Double Bastard. The bittersweet caramel slowly fades to a vanilla in the aftertaste and then becomes a lingering bitterness. This has a heavy body with low carbonation, but is not boozy in spite of it’s high alcohol content (12.7%), and is a little easier to drink than the regular Double Bastard. The hops are evident, though not overwhelming, and help to balance the huge maltiness of this brew. Double Bastard in the Rye has none of the coconut flavor so evident in Southern Charred, but has more vanilla. As the beer warms in the glass, the vanilla from the whiskey barrel and the alcohol become more apparent in the aroma and the flavor.

Double Bastard in the Rye is available, but is limited, so if you want to try some, you better get it soon. I received this bottle (500 ml corked bottle) from my other daughter, Rosie, for Christmas. It’s very good, although not as good as Southern Charred or Depth Charged Double Bastard Ale (see my review posted December 2, 2015).

So, what about these two beers? I recommend both, but neither is for the faint of heart. Double Bastard in the Rye is pretty expensive (as is expected with a barrel aged beer), but worth the price for the experience of drinking one bottle. Gift of the Magi is more affordable, so you have no excuse – GO BUY A BOTTLE!. Caveat – as with most of these big beers, fizzy yellow beer drinkers and cheapskates will not like them; so if you’re in either category (or both), don’t bother.

A sincere thank you to Krissy and Rosie. You know how to spoil your old man. Cheers!